Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas that mixes completely with normal air. Its density is 0.968 compared to 1 for air.

Inhaled CO is absorbed into the blood via the lungs. Just like oxygen. Some of the CO settles on the haemoglobin in red blood cells. This causes disruption of oxygen transport and thus oxygen supply to the cells.

When exposed to very high concentrations of CO, immediate respiratory arrest may occur. At lower concentrations of CO, we see symptoms of headache, dizziness and nausea. The victim feels weak and is quickly short of breath with moderate exertion. The victim may appear confused. Persons with heart or lung disease, as well as young healthy persons, may show cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary oedema or signs of myocardial infarction. One may lose consciousness and if no help arrives, the victim will fall into a coma and suffer brain damage or even death.

CO is therefore not called the silent assassin for nothing.

LARCOZ has several CO detectors in the range. COmelders installed as stand-alone detectors. COmelders that are part of an alarm system.

Source: Securitynews.co.uk dated 13-11 2018

Over the past six weeks, a total of 40 people were hospitalised with carbon monoxide poisoning in 18 incidents. This is announced by the Netherlands Fire Service and the Dutch Burns Foundation.

"The cold has not even set in yet in the Netherlands and now we are already seeing so many accidents. And that while the peak period with CO accidents is still going to take place in the coming months," says Jet Vroege, file keeper Carbon Monoxide Fire Brigade Netherlands. "The silent killer CO is already striking hard this year."

Problems
In the past six weeks, 40 people became so distressed that they had to be hospitalised. In 2017, two people died from CO poisoning and 161 became seriously ill as a result. Hospitalisation was required for 114 of them. Early: "This then only includes CO accidents where a gas system was the cause. Accidents caused by indoor barbecuing - you wouldn't believe it, but it really still happens often - and open fires or wood-burning stoves as a cause are not included in these figures. The Dutch Safety Board reported back in 2015 that the total number of casualties is probably much higher than we can infer from the figures. So this is still a reality."

Public knowledge falls short
A representative sample carried out by the Dutch Burns Foundation earlier this week reveals that 43% of those surveyed do not know that you should install a CO detector in the area of the combustion appliance (such as central heating boiler, geyser, fireplace, stove). The same sample shows that almost half of people do not know that even a new boiler can cause CO poisoning. Jet Vroege: "This while half of the accidents involve a new or newly serviced central heating boiler. The cause is then usually an incorrectly connected or loose flue. Very important that when installing a new boiler, you also replace the flue immediately or at least have it checked."

Risk of CO poisoning increases in coming months
Most accidents involving carbon monoxide occur in the months of November to around March, the period when heating, stoves and fireplaces are in full use. Jet Vroege: "If these figures continue like this in the coming months, we will end up with many more victims per year this year than Kiwa recorded in 2017. That is why we are sounding the alarm today. Together with the Dutch Burns Foundation, the GGD and our 25 safety regions, we are again drawing wide attention to this silent killer. It is important that everyone knows how to prevent and recognise CO poisoning. And of course that you also know how to act should it happen to you. So have your boiler, geyser, stove or fireplace checked every year by a certified professional. Ventilate: Leave a window or grill ajar 24/7. And make sure you have a CO detector. Only this can alert you if the highly toxic CO is released. Place the detector on the ceiling in the combustion appliance room." www.brandweer.nl/koolmonoxide has lots of information, including how to recognise CO poisoning.

Source: Fire Brigade Netherlands.